The Council for the Rural Area (RLG)

Raad voor het Landelijk Gebied

Raad voor het Landelijk Gebied (RLG)
Visitors' address:
Catharijnesingel 53
3511 GC Utrecht
Postal Address:
PO Box 1331
3500 BH Utrecht
The Netherlands
Tel. +31 30 230 78 70
Fax +31 231 06 72
raad.landelijk.gebied@minlnv.nl
www.rlg.nl

Current and Future Activities

Establishment and Mission

Council Members and Staff Members

Working Style

List of Selected Publications

Current and Future Activities

Present Priority Fields

The Council for Rural Area is working on the following advisory topics:

Multiculturality This issue has been raised by the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. The ministry wants to be better prepared for demographic change and changing multicultural needs, and to be able to connect new generations of citizens with other cultural backgrounds with the Dutch countryside to create public support for landscape and nature policy. The council will make a structural analysis of possible meanings of multiculturality for the policy field of the ministry and recommend vehicles that can help different ethnical groups to connect to the green domain of the ministry. The recommendations will be presented in December 2008.
The impact of climate change on the environment With regard to climate change, the principal issues for the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality are water for nature and agriculture; rendering nature within and beyond the National Ecological Network resistant to the effects of climate change; and living and working on water (which includes the IJsselmeer, and the greenhouse horticulture industry). The Council for Rural Areahas been asked to explore the significance of climate change for nature and agriculture in greater depth, and to recommend appropriate policy modifications. The Council can have an influence on this theme by daring to enter into a risky discussion on an extremely sensitive subject: there is no public debate about a level of environmental quality that will stand the test of climate change.
The Rural Area in a long term perspective What does the rural area look like 20 years ahead, and what kind of governance interventions will be needed to stimulate or redirect developments? This main question will be focused on a number of mayor issues if necessary linked to certain regions: " The role of the regional authority " Demographic change; shrink, aging and loss of young people " The water issue " The role of the citizens in the rural area.
Animal welfare The Council has started exploring this subject and is investigating the dilemmas, the relevant spheres of influence, the parties to which the advice is applicable and the question of where the Council can make a difference. The commotion in Dutch media early 2008 about animal welfare during transport is typical for the present public involvement in animal welfare. The public involvement is expressed in acts and regulations oriented on animal welfare on farms, during transport and slaughter, as well as in the political pressure by societal organisations on national and EU level to sharpen these regulations. Apparently is animal welfare not enough safeguarded within the production system according to a large part of the Dutch population. The council will - on their own initiative - give advice on the possibilities to safeguard public values as to animal welfare within more animal friendly production methods. The recommendations will be presented at the end of 2008.
Protein transition The Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality has asked the Council for advice on the feasibility and desirability of a (partial) transition from animal protein foods to plant protein foods. Under the direction of the Ministry of General Affairs, the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, together with the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment and the Department of Development Cooperation have started a project entitled 'Biodiversity, Food and Meat'. Increasing global meat consumption is having a huge impact on such natural resources as land, water and energy. A shift in consumption from animal to vegetable proteins could hold big advantages. The stimulation of sustainable protein supply chains could also be interesting from an economic perspective. The most important questions for the Council are: o is this a problem which demands government action? o if this is so, where can the government best intervene?

Former priorities

2008 the RLG had the following priorities:

The Netherlands and the EU policy for the rural area;
Food quality;
Holland's Southern Wing:
The world on paper versus practice - the tragedy of good intentions;
The role of the province in the rural area, and area-oriented practice;
National agricultural infrastructure;
Strategic agenda;
Youth;
Biobased economy;
Revision of the tentative World Heritage List.

For even earlier priorities, see the following links:

Priorities and advisory programme 2007

Priorities and advisory programme 2006

Priorities and advisory programme 2005

Previous priorities and advisory programme 2004

Previous priorities and advisory programmes 2002-2003

Previous priorities and advisory programmes 2000-2001

▲ Top

Background

Establishment

The Advisory Council for the Rural Area (RLG) was statutorily set up by the Law on the Council for the Rural Area in combination with the Framework Law on Advisory Councils, and is one of the broadly based advisory councils in the advisory system of the Dutch Government. The Minister of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries established this Council in 1997. Independent advisory bodies have a solid basis in the Netherlands, as the Constitution stipulates that the government must take advice from independent advisory bodies.

The RLG was set up on 28 January 1997, by the Minister of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries.

▲ Top

Mission

The Council advises the Dutch Government and both Chambers of Parliament on strategic policy questions concerning the rural area, nature, agriculture and food quality. Considering this advisory task, the Council intends to take the concept of rural area broadly. The RLG's advice is also focused on nature, recreation and businesses connected with agriculture in and around urban areas.

▲ Top

Council members

The RLG has 11 Council Members. The law prescribes that its members must be independent and that they must be appointed on the basis of their expertise in the sphere of activity for which the Council was established, and for their knowledge and their experience in society and governance. The Queen appoints new members of the council on advice by the Minister of Agriculture. The members are appointed for four years and can be re-appointed twice. Their term will end in 2010.

Chairman Prof. Peter van Wijmen	Professor Nature Conservation Law, University of Tilburg
Ben van Essen	Sociologist
Koos Koolen	Independent advisor
Jannie Lamberts	Dairy Cattle farmer
Marjan Margadant-van Arcken	Philosopher, Pedagogue
Tracy Metz	Writer, journalist
Marijke van Schendelen	Freelance advisor on land planning development
Huib Silvis	Economist
Frans Tielrooij	Politician
Mark van Twist	Management Consultant
Kees Jan de Vet	Mayor of Leisden

▲ Top

Staff Members

The Council has a secretariat with around 12 staff. Hans van der Kooi is the Secretary-General.

Work Style

Tasks of the Council

The Council seeks to give independent, solid and compact advice on strategic issues for the medium and long term that matches the policy agenda; independent advice that offer policymakers perspectives and that stimulate societal discussions and public debate.

The advisory reports are accomplished in an open consultation process. For every advisory project the Council composes a working group of Council members supplemented by external experts. This group, supported by one or two staff members, prepares the advice. In this, the Council applies various forms of external consultation. The Council's staff plays an important role in organising and co-ordinating these activities, and in fitting and integrating the results in the advice.

The Council consists of 11 independent members, chosen because of their specific experience and expertise built up within science, through practical experience within societal organizations and/or administrative background.

The Council develops its annual advisory programme in consultation with the department. The advisory programme has been approved by the government. The Council is free to add important issues but is expected to inform the minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality about these new issues.

▲ Top

Council Meetings

The Council meets every third Thursday of the month, ten times per year. At the end of this year (2008) the meetings are scheduled for: November 20 and December 11.

▲ Top

Type of Advice

The Advisory Programme of the council contains issues formulated by the government or by own initiative of the council.

▲ Top

Activities in the EEAC Network

The RLG was involved in the early years of the network and became member when membership was introduced in 1997.
It chairs the Working Group Agriculture and it is an member of the Working Group Sustainable Development and is an observer to the Working Groups Biodiversity and Energy
In 2005, together with the Hungarian OKT, the RLG organised a conference on rural development: Rural Resources at Risk. It also co-hosted the 5^th Annual Conference 1997 on Self Regulation within Society together with the Dutch RMNO and VROMraad.

▲ Top

List of Selected Publications

Not all the advisory reports have an English summary. The data below reach back, furthermore, to 2001 only. For a full list of reports and publications, see www.rlg.nl.

Green enterprise: advice on the role of private initiatives in green development in rural and urban areas (October 2008);
Home-grown energy: advice on regional opportunities relating to biomass (June 2008);
Growing up green: advic e on a more cohesive green youth policy (June 2008);
Around the table: advice on and about food quality , (May 2008);
RLG 06/1a: Outsiders and Epitomes. Advice on mega businesses in Dutch agricultural sectors, (April 2006);
RLG 05/8a: Winter mortality in large herbivores in the Oostvaardersplassen - Advice by the Council on Animal Affairs and the Council for Rural Areas, (June 2005);
RLG 05/1a: Advice on the Instrumentation of National Landscapes, (February 2005);
RLG 04/4a: More value. Advice on agriculture and rural areas in a European Perspective, (November 2004);
RLG 03/8a: A generally accepted policy on animal disease, (July 2004);
RLG 03/6a: The farmer in the chain: escape artist or team player?, (September 2003);
RLG 03/4a: Consequences of the CAP reform proposals. Advice on Collective Agriculture Policy, (May 2003);
RLG 03/2a: Wanting something for nothing. Advice on Nature Policy, (February 2003);
RLG 02/8a: For Farmers, Townspeople and Countryfolk. Advice on the importance of socio-cultural developments for the Rural Area, (June 2002);
RLG 02/7a: Green Services: From Direct Support to Rural Enterprise. Advice on Green Services in Rural Areas, (June 2002);
RLG 01/6a: Before it is too late... Advice on the future of livestock farming in the Netherlands, (August 2001);
RLG 01/5a: Agribusiness: more and more business, less and less agri. Advice on business licensing requirements for international business, (June 2001);
RLG 01/4a: Storing water strategically. Advice on the implementation of water retention and water buffering in policies and implementation plans, (June 2001).